Lauren Martin ARAMARK Dietetic Intern May 4 th , 2012

1. Emerging Trends In Dietetics Concentration Project: The Application and Utilization of Web-based Health and Wellness Information by Communities and Health Professional’s Lauren Martin ARAMARK Dietetic Intern May 4th, 2012

2. Introduction • Purpose: Implement a health and wellness blog for the Main Line Health Intranet system and Community Page • Research Question: • Will the implementation of a health and wellness blog for healthcare professionals and for the community enhance the healthcare professionals and community’s knowledge and application of current health and nutrition information and influence positive nutritional behaviors?

3. Background • Websites and blogs integral players in modern medicine • 61% of American adults look to online sources • 46% in 2000 • Credibility • Statistical information, testimonials, quotations, references, identification of message author

4. Background • Graduate degrees ~4x likely to search the internet3 • 2009 Pew Internet HealthCare Foundation survey • 85% college degree • 50% high school diploma • 25% less than a high school diploma • Income • 82% with income >$75,000 • 44% with income <$30,000

5. Background • Main Line Health • Hospital Network + Rehab • Community Page • Access both by communities and employees

6. Methodology • Research Design • Program Description • Host: Kentico • MLH Community Page • http://community.mainlinehealth.org/default.aspx

7. Methodology Cont…

8. Methodologies Cont.. • Blog Series • Cheer to a Healthy 2012 • Beat the Winter Blues by Eating? • Heart-Healthy Foods That Can Save Your Life • Super Bowel Sunday Diet Sabotages • Season’s Eating's: The Importance of Seasonality • Battle Allergies with Immune-Boosting Foods • 10 Healthy Snacks for an Afternoon Slump • Cracking the Case: Are Eggs a Healthy Choice? • January 1st – March 23rd • Biweekly

9. Methodologies Cont… • Evaluation Method • Pre, Mid, Post Evaluation • SurveyMonkey • Web metric Data • Google Analytics: Mode • Advertised • MLH Intranet Homepage • MLH Facebook, Twitter • Inclusion criteria: • Employees of MLH, access to Intranet • Community Members, access to Internet • Reguardless of age, race, gender, occupation, knowledge base • Exclusion criteria: • None established

10. Outcomes • Goal: To enhance health care professionals and the community’s knowledge and application of current health and nutrition information and influence positive nutritional behaviors • Objectives: • Provide 8 blog posts by March 30th for MLH employees and the community that contain current health and nutrition information • Present potential lifestyle modification tips within each blog post • Acquire at least 8 unique hits for each blog posting, for a total of 64 unique hits • Obtain at least 600 unique hits for the MLH Community Page by March 30th

11. Post Survey

12. Results

13. Results • Total Hits: 4,863 • Unique Hits: 3,784 • Goal of 600 unique hits • Goal of at least 10 hits for each post • Twitter • Facebook • Six “likes” • 1 post reposted • 2 additional comments were made

14. Results

15. Post-Survey Results Total of 13 Survey’s Collected

16. Post-Survey Results

17. Post-Survey Results

18. Post-Survey Results

19. Post-Survey Results

20. Feedback • “Very well written and informative” • “Great blog- posts are a good length, not too long. I loved the post on eggs. I always thought they had too much cholesterol and were bad for me, but now I know I can eat them here and there as part of my healthy diet. I can't wait to try the Mediterranean Strata!” • “I liked the recipes along with information about nutrition trends.”

21. Discussion Meet 100% of project goals and objectives 4,863 total hits (162% increase) 3,784 unique hits 46% claimed the blog expanded their nutrition knowledge 38% reported more conscious of making healthy choices 0% no changes

22. Discussion • Supports other findings in literature • Sustainability • Strengths • Credible • Accomplished all goals • Weaknesses • 13 responses • No distinction between community vs health professionals

23. Conclusion • Integral Role in Social Media & Technology • Reliable, credible sources of information • More Research on long-term effects

24. References • Lagu T, Kaufman EJ, Asch DA, et al. Content of Weblogs Written by Health Professionals. J Gen Intern Med. 2008; 23(10):1642-6. • Fox S, Jones S. The Social Life of Health Information. The Pew Internet & American Life Project Web site. http://www.pewinternet.org. Published June, 2009. Accessed November 10, 2011. • Tu HT, Cohen GR. Striking Jump In Consumers Seeking Health Care Information. Center for Studying health System Change: Tracking Report Website. http://www.hschange.org/CONTENT/1006/#ib9. Published August, 2009. Accessed November 10, 2011. • Rains SA, Karmikel CD. Health information-seeking and perceptions of website credibility: Examining Web-use orientation, message characteristics, and structural features of websites. Computers in Human Behavior. 2009; 25 (2): 544-553. • SillenceE, Briggs P, Harris PR, et al. How do patients evaluate and make use of online health information? Social Science & Medicine. 2007; 64: 1853-1862. • Robert, K. Survey: More U.S. Adults Tap into Health Information Online. Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology. 2010; 44(2): 90. • Hu Y, Sundar SS. Effects of Online Health Sources on Credibility and Behavioral Intentions. Communication Research. 2010; 37(1): 105-132. • Adams, SA. Blog-based application and health information: Two case studies that illustrate important questions for Consumer Health Informatics (CHI) research. International Journal of Medical Informatics. 2010; 79(6): 89-96. • Thomas G. How to do Your Research Project. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications; 2009. • Abott Hess M. Review of Dietetics: Manual for the Registered Dietitian Exam. Hess and Hunt. 2011;163-4.

25. Thanks! Any Questions?